Machine for producing a plastic-covered glass container

ABSTRACT

The disclosure relates to a machine for making a plastic covering on a rigid base article which in the illustrated form comprises a glass bottle and a conforming shrunken plastic covering thereon. The plastic is fed in oriented sheet form to the turret apparatus, cut into lengths and wrapped and seamed on successive mandrels as sleeves. Bottles are simultaneously processed to preheat condition and indexed over the sleeves, the latter telescopically assembled on the rigid base article, i.e. the bottle, and the combination carried to a heat tunnel. The plastic sleeve shrinks into snug surface fit on the adjacent surface portion of the rigid base article. The bottle is preheated in one of two embodiments by: 1. A PREHEAT TUNNEL ON THE MACHINE WHICH RAISES THE BOTTLES FROM ROOM TEMPERATURE TO ABOUT 220*F, or (2) the preheat is carried over as latent heat in the glass bottle from the annealing lehr, a part of the bottle manufacturing process. The machine includes novel subassemblies comprised of (1) a bottle chuck and loading station for assuring proper loading of the bottles on the machine, (2) bottle handling, (3) plastic strip handling and feed mechanism for placing oriented cut lengths onto mandrels of the turret, (4) the turret for making seamed sleeves in succession and feeding them onto registered bottles carried by the bottle handling apparatus, and (5) unloading device for transfer of the covered bottles to a conveyor and with said transfer smoothening the bottom surface of the covering on the bottle.

United States Patent Amberg et a1.

MACHINE FOR PRODUCING A PLASTIC-COVERED GLASS CONTAINER Inventors: Stephen W. Amberg, St. James;

City, Ariz.

[73] Assignee: Owens-Illinois, Inc., Toledo, Ohio [22] Filed: July 11, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 378,218

Related U.S. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 209,751, Dec. 20, 1971, Pat. No.

83/313; 226/4; 226/108; 226/195; 83/371 [51] Int. Cl. B26D 7/06; 8651-1 29/32 [58] Field of Search 83/152, 38, 313, 365, 371,

[56} References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 1,699,507 l/1929 Spiess 226/4 2,955,731 lO/l960 Meinshausen 226/4 3,159,521 12/1964 Pechmann 83/152 X 3,484,098 12/1969 Ramsey et a1. 83/365 X 3,675,522 7/1972 Hull 83/152 X 3,683,730 8/1972 Driessen 83/152 X 3,721,375 3/1973 Roberts et a1. 83/152 X Primary Examiner-Willie G. Abercrombie Attorney, Agent, or Firm.l. R. Nelson Sept. 9, 1975 [57] ABSTRACT The disclosure relates to a machine for making a plastic covering on a rigid base article which in the illustrated form comprises a glass bottle and a conforming shrunken plastic covering thereon. The plastic is fed in oriented sheet form to the turret apparatus, cut into lengths and wrapped and seamed on successive mandrels as sleeves. Bottles are simultaneously processed to preheat condition and indexed over the sleeves, the latter telescopically assembled on the rigid base article, i.e. the bottle, and the combination carried to a heat tunnel. The plastic sleeve shrinks into snug surface fit on the adjacent surface portion of the rigid base article.

The bottle is preheated in one of two embodiments by: 1. a preheat tunnel on the machine which raises the bottles from room temperature to about 220F, or (2) the preheat is carried over as latent heat in the glass bottle from the annealing lehr, a part of the bottle manufacturing process.

The machine includes novel subassemblies comprised of l) a bottle chuck and loading station for assuring proper loading of the bottles on the machine, (2) bottle handling, (3) plastic strip handling and feed mechanism for placing oriented cut lengths onto mandrels of the turret, (4) the turret for making seamed sleeves in succession and feeding them onto registered bottles carried by the bottle handling apparatus, and (5) unloading device for transfer of the covered bottles to a conveyor and with said transfer smoothening the bottom surface of the covering on the bottle.

6 Claims, 39 Drawing Figures PATENTED SEP 9 I975 SHEET SHEET PATENTEU SEP 9 i975 m GE PATENTEBSEP ems SHEET 3 FIG. 4

PATENTED SEP 1975 SHEET PATENTEBSEP ems 3, 903 768 FIG. IO

FIG. 9

PATENTEU 9i975 SHEET FIG. I4

PATENTEU 9%975 3.903.768

SHEE 10 FIG. I5

PATENTED 91975 3, 903 768 SHEET 1 1 FIG. I5 A SHEET PATENTEB SEP 9 m9 OE PATENTED SEP 9 I975 SHEET PATENIEBSEP 9M5 3.903.768

SHEET 14 FIG 7 PATENTED E 3. 903 768 SHEET 15 FIG. 17A

PATENTEB 9 i975 SHEET FIG. 17B

wwo CYCLE.

RESETTING MANDRELS TO BEGIN WIND CYCLE.

PATENTEDSEP ems 3,903,768

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1. The method of feeding a web of flexible material and forming a predetermined discrete length therefrom comprising the steps of moving the web longitudinally in a linear path at a predetermined linear velocity, engaging the leading portion of the web with an arcuate surface and yieldably holding the leading portion thereon by locally applying a first vacuum at the arcuate surface interface, moving said arcuate surface in a rotary path at a velocity in excess of said linear velocity of the web, said leading portion slipping on said moving arcuate surface while pulling the web and maintaining it taut and wrapping a portion of the web on said arcuate surface, applying a second vacuum force to the web aft of said leading portion, said first interfacially applied vacuum moving with the arcuate surface relative to the leading edge of the web until disconnected from the web, whereupon performing the step of severing the web transversely at a point thereof on said arcuate surface and thereby forming a discrete severed length of material, and holding said severed length on said arcuate surface by said second vacuum for advancing said severed length in registered position on said moving arcuate surface.
 2. The method of feeding a web of flexible material and forming a blank of predetermined length therefrom comprising the steps of: a. moving the web longitudinally at a predetermined linear velocity, the leading end of the web engaging the peripheral surface of an arcuate feed drum, b. rotating the arcuate feed drum in the same direction and at a peripheral surface velocity that exceeds the linear velocity of the web, c. holding the forward portion of the web on said peripheral surface by a first vacuum locally applied through the drum surface interface, applying a second vacuum to the web on the drum interface aft of said first vacuum and wrapping the web on the peripheral surface of said drum, the web slipping on the drum surface and maintaining it taut, said slipping movement continuing until the leading edge of the web is registered at a predetermined peripheral location on said drum surface, e. severing a length of the wrapped portion of the web at the point of said registration on the drum forming a blank length, the second vacuum thereafter holding the blank in place on the drum, and f. advancing the blank with the drum in said registered position thereon.
 3. The method of feeding a web of flexible material and forming a blank of predetermined length therefrom comprising the steps of: a. moving the web longitudinally at a predetermined linear velocity, b. engaging the leading end of the web on the peripheral surface of an arcuate feed drum, c. driving the arcuate feed drum peripheral surface in the same direction and at a velocity that exceeds the linear velocity of the web, d. holding the forward portion of the web on said peripheral surface by a first vacuum and wrapping the web on said peripheral surface, the web slipping on said peripheral surface, e. applying a second vacuum to the web on the drum aft of said first vacuum, said slipping movement maintaining the web taut and continuing until the leading edge of the web is registered at a predetermined location on said drum surface, f. cutting the web transversely on the drum in timed relation with the leading edge of the web being in said registered position to form a blank from the web, said second vacuum thereafter holding the blank on the drum, and g. advancing the blank thereon in said held, registered position on the drum to a blank transfer station.
 4. The method of forming a blank length of flexible material on a peripheral surface of a feed drum from a web of said material supplied thereto at a predetermined velocity from a supply web and registering the position of the leading edge of said blank on the drum surface, comprising the steps of: a. rotating the surface of the drum at a velocity greater than said predetermined web velocity, b. applying first and second localized vacuums, respectively, at linearly spaced intervals on said web, the said vacuums permitting slippage between the web and drum surface until the said first vacuum application advances beyond the leading edge of the web thereby disengaging said first vacuum, c. cutting the web transversely at a location on the drum behind the said second vacuum application thereon at the time said first vacuum is disengaged to form the blank length of material from the web, d. the combination of first vacuum disengagement and cutting the web registering the position of the leading edge of the blank on the periphery of the drum, and e. holding the blAnk length on the drum by said second vacuum for advancing it in registered position with the drum surface to a blank transfer station advanced from said web cutting location.
 5. The method of claim 4, including the steps of disconnecting said second vacuum at the blank transfer station, and applying an outwardly directed puff of low pressure air thereat along the interface of the blank and the feed drum, thereby releasing the blank from the feed drum at the blank transfer station.
 6. The method of claim 5, including the further steps of bringing a mandrel to the blank transfer station to receive the blank from the feed drum, and applying a third vacuum to the blank at the peripheral surface of the mandrel to hold the blank thereon. 